Durban - THREE days before his 15th birthday, Colton D’Andre Manuel used the money his parents gave him to buy groceries for 25 underprivileged families.
Manuel, of Escombe, is a Grade 10 pupil at Meadowlands Secondary School in Chatsworth.
He celebrated his birthday on April 28.
“On the Saturday before my birthday, I was watching the news. There was a report on how some families were living in poverty during the lockdown. They did not have basic goods to survive. This got me thinking about the poorer families in my community and I felt I needed to do something to make a difference.”
Manuel gave R6500 to his parents, Ricardo, 35, and Deidre, 37, both self-employed, and asked them to help buy groceries for families.
“Some of the money was a pre-birthday gift and the remainder was pocket money I had been saving. My family and I were supposed to go on holiday to the South Coast to celebrate my birthday but due to the lockdown, we cancelled the trip.”
Manuel said each hamper had a variety of staple foods, including rice, mealie mealie and canned foods. “We included hand sanitiser and treats for kids. Once the hampers were put together my parents put up a post on Facebook to see if there were people who needed the hampers.”
Manuel said within minutes they received a response.
“My parents and I delivered the hampers recently to families in Escombe, Chatsworth and Welbedacht. Seeing the joy on the families’ faces was the best gift. They were so thankful for the things we take for granted. This experience made me feel grateful for all I had.”
His father said the family tried to do feeding schemes at least twice a year at children’s homes.
“We take Colton and his younger siblings, Dreton and Peyton, so they know the importance of giving back and helping those in need.”